


A Different Kind of Bravery

by Misunkun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Cute Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai, Falling In Love, Fluff, Government Agencies, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 05:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20204785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misunkun/pseuds/Misunkun
Summary: How do you tell the cute boy you’re talking to that you like long walks on the beach, ice cream in summertime and that your kill count is higher than your postcode?





	A Different Kind of Bravery

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the KaiSoo Best Days of Our Lives 2019 fest. Prompt: Reckless #231 - Kim Jongin, the most stealthy hitman the world has ever seen becomes a fumbling mess for a cute penguin enthusiast (Do Kyungsoo).

Jongin hits the concrete wall hard, breath puffing out in a long wheeze. A vial full of sickly yellow liquid is knocked from his grasp with the impact and Jongin makes a desperate lunge for it, Jongdae’s last words echoing in his ears.

_If you can’t retrieve it, destroy it. _

The vial skitters along, rolling down the dirty alley and Jongin almost reaches it when it’s previous owner throws himself in his path, barrelling into Jongin hard enough to knock him aside. The momentum sends them crashing into a set of dumpsters that ring with the impact. Jongin rocks to one side to dodge the follow-up punch and the man’s knuckles break on the heavy steel. Jongin cracks an elbow across the man’s jaw as he howls at his hand, sending him stumbling. Drawing a slim handgun from the holster that sits under his tailored jacket Jongin aims at the courier, point blank.

A child’s happy scream breaks the silence and a pair of little figures tumble into the mouth of the alley nearby, chasing a balloon shaped like an elephant. Jongin immediately holsters the weapon and the courier -one hand to his now bleeding nose- resettles his weight on his shaky legs opposite him, breathing hard. The other Jongin watches slide into a pocket of his stained jeans. The man withdraws a capped syringe.

Jongin narrows his eyes. It’s full of the same liquid as was in the vial. The man slowly starts backing up towards the children, speaking low. The blood makes his words heavy and he spits, adjusting the patch over his missing eye as he swipes at it.

“You’re going to let me walk out of here. And if you even _think _about shooting at me I’m going to stab one of these brats. They’ll be dead before they hit the ground.”

Jongin curls his lip in frustration, hand remaining inside his jacket on the butt of his gun. The courier smiles thinly, still walking slowly backwards. His thumb inches towards the cap of the needle and he palms it warningly as he reaches where the kids are playing.

One-eye needs almost all of what’s in that syringe if he’s going to finish his mission but Jongin isn’t willing to risk him even attempting to use one of the children as collateral. So he obediently stays very still until the man slides past the oblivious children and sprints from the alley. The moment he’s clear Jongin dives for the container and scoops it up, pocketing the tiny bottle of poison.

He hits the button on his comms link of his inner ear piece. “I have the vial.”

‘_That’s great._’ Jongdae’s voice is faint; the link isn’t strong. ‘_Is the target neutralised?_’

“Not yet.” Jongin pushes out past the kids and scans the street. “Dae he still has a syringe worth of the poison.”

‘_Shit_.’

Jongin looks back at the kids and their brightly-colored balloon animal. “We’re only a block from the zoo. He’s headed there and he knows his cover is blown. I need to get to him.”

Jongdae makes a pained sound. ‘_That’s too public an area. We don’t know what he’ll do now._’

“He’ll still attempt to complete his mission.” Jongin exits the alley and breaks into a run. “The South China tiger he’s after is on loan. You said it yourself; that thing is critically endangered. There’s none left in the wild any more. This breeding program is an act of extreme faith on the government’s part. If the tiger were to drop dead in Korea’s care…”

Jongdae sounds like he wants to hit something. ‘_Is there enough in that syringe to kill it?’_

Jongin shoves through several bystanders and slows into a lope as the crowds thicken towards the zoo’s entrance. “Yes,” he mutters, quieter now that there are people around. “It was fully loaded.”

‘_Goddammit. Okay_,’ Jongdae readjusts the parameters of the mission on the fly and it’s one of the many reasons Jongin loves his handler. ‘_Neutralise the threat **and** secure the safety of the target. I’ve got a clean-up crew on standby but we don’t need a mass panic on our hands so take him down only when he’s about to make his move. Maximum discretion, Jongin_.’

“Always.” Jongin slips through the gate just as a family fumbles with presenting their admission tickets. “You should totally put me in the undercover division.” He scans the waves of people and comes up painfully empty. Sliding behind a jaunty concession cart while no one is looking his way Jongin scoops up a display cap from a crooked stand of park-themed items. He smoothly dons it and dives into the crowd, pulling it low over his face. Jongdae’s voice filters in again.

_‘I told you we hired for that already. You’re too good at something else we need.'_

"Hey I trained in diplomacy, I speak four languages-"

_'We've been though this; Latin doesn't count. It's technically a dead language. __Now I have to go alert upstairs that we may need to prepare a diplomatic contingency plan. Try not to get yourself killed while I’m not on comms._’

Jongin rolls his eyes. “So little faith.”

Jongdae snorts. ‘_Your impressive kill count isn’t going to save you every time_.’

“The day it doesn’t you’ll be the first to know.”

‘_That’s what I’m afraid of. Because I’m the one who’ll have to take the call_.’ Jongdae pauses and then sounds uncharacteristically soft. ‘_Maybe if you had someone to miss you if something happened, you wouldn’t be so reckless sometimes_.’

Jongin almost stops mid-stride, something peculiar wobbling through his chest. “That’s-” he clears his throat, resuming walking. “That’s what I have you and Chanyeol for.”

Jongdae sighs, the sound long-suffering and fond. ‘_You know what I mean_.’

A group of schoolchildren are ahead, clustered into a knot ready for lunch and Jongin backs up against the entranceway to the cafeteria that boarders the looping front pathway, placing himself in front of a busy balloon display and an OPEN sign. Behind his back he silently snaps off one of the balloons and swaps it to a delighted boy as he enters in exchange for his zoo map. Jongin snaps the pages open and continues, scanning for where the big cat enclosure is held.

“I do know. And we’ve been through this before, Dae. I’m not exactly good with people.”

‘_You’re excellent with people. It’s how you do your job. You’re just a dick to everyone Chanyeol sets you up with for some reason_.’

“They’re boring,” Jongin mutters, dragging a finger along the map. He finally finds it. The big cat enclosure isn’t far from the back of the zoo, directly past the aquarium and outdoor aquatic displays. “Might as well be zombies.”

Jongdae makes a dismissive sound. ‘_One day you’re going to find someone. And we’re all going to die of a heart attack._’

“You can buy me a celebratory drink instead.” Jongin finds the sign for the displays and ducks between the throngs of people. “Now go speak to Chanyeol to get that contingency.”

Jongdae obligingly cuts comms and all of a sudden Jongin is very alone. He makes a beeline around the edge of the seal enclosure and up the steps that showcase a display tank of smaller animals and a rotunda of seats. Trying to squeeze his way through is trickier around the live exhibits full of excited families and Jongin comes to the head of the path where a group of people are clustered. Corralled, he backs up a step and bumps into someone behind him. Jongin turns around as a voice murmurs.

“So sorry.”

Jongin follows the deep voice and it’s—oh. It’s attached to a really cute guy with miles of fluffy hair and the biggest, prettiest eyes Jongin has ever seen (and he’s sure seen a lot on random dates because Chanyeol knows his weakness). He’s dressed in… Jongin blinks.

A pastel blue shirt with a giant cartoon penguin on the front. The hideous comic sans caption above it reads_ When penguins want to get better at something they pract-ice!_ and Jongin is completely frozen staring at the terrible pun for a split second because that’s... wow. The guy wearing the shirt smiles and waves a hand gently and Jongin only then realises he’s standing there like an idiot.

“Are you here for the display too?”

“The… what?”

The criminally cute guy in the dorky shirt points at the clock hanging on the side of the low-slung water feature. “The penguin feeding parade! It starts in two minutes.” He pauses at Jongin’s confused look, seeming to deflate from his original eagerness, indicating the air above Jongin’s face. “I just—sorry. I thought with your hat and all…”

Jongin snatches the cap off his head and looks at it. There’s a row of tiny penguins marching across the front. “Oh,” he manages weakly, distracted by how endearing it is that the poor guy seems almost sad that Jongin isn’t here for the flightless fat bird display, pretty eyes dropping low. Crap.

“Um, actually I-” Jongin goes to gesture past the water and a familiar silhouette catches his gaze. One-eye is sitting across the water on the other side of the raised circular water feature, several tiers higher than the both of them. He doesn’t seem to have noticed them; Jongin quickly replaces the cap. “I’d _love_ to.”

The guy lights up like a tiny bulb. “Really?” He looks thrilled to have the company and ushers Jongin to sit down on one of the small wooden benches that surround the feature. Thankfully they get lost in the crowd. “It’s really short but it’s my favourite part of the whole day. Did you know emperor penguins are the tallest and grow to nearly four feet tall?”

“I… did not.” Jongin sucks his bottom lip tightly into his mouth for a heartbeat to stop himself smiling and rearranges his holster subtly as it pokes into his rib. He checks on one-eye’s position for a split second then looks back. “So you… come here often?”

“I love penguins,” the guy explains brightly while the seats around the arena fill steadily, as if he’s completely and adorably unaware that he’s a walking advertisement for the animal. Jongin notices he has a small brochure about penguins sticking out of his side pocket. Oh god. “This is when you get to see them being fed.”

Jongin subtly glances up at one-eye. He’s not sure why he’s here and not closer to the large cat enclosures, but whatever the reason Jongin knows he’ll try to move when the crowd swells after the display for maximum cover. Where he’s going though, Jongin can’t predict. The cat enclosures are further along than here-

Jongin jumps as a shoulder gently bumps his, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Sorry I didn’t say before. I’m uh, Kyungsoo.”

Jongin knows he won’t see this guy again after today so there’s no harm in first names. He’ll neutralise this threat, contain the poison, save the South Korean government from an international debacle and won’t think twice about handsome doe eyes or perfectly full lips or pale-

“Jongin,” he murmurs quietly, head tilted down so as to obscure his face from one-eye. Kyungsoo almost seems to be watching the word fall from his mouth because when Jongin smiles he quickly blinks before glancing away. “Gentoo,”

“Bless you.”

Kyungsoo laughs, the sound brief and startled. “Um, no. It’s a species of penguin, the fastest of all of them.”

Jongin’s heart trips over itself like something idiotic. His smile widens. He can’t help it. “Really?”

Kyungsoo clasps his hands between his knees and nods, sitting up straighter as the trainer enters the enclosure and sweeps an arm out. Several sleek, fat little shapes slide out and plop into the water in the centre of the arena. Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on the small black and white bodies as he whispers under his breath, almost too low for Jongin to catch. “Way to scare him off, Soo…”

The little something in Jongin’s chest from earlier kind of does a dorky little bounce. It’s distractingly painful, but in a good way. “What was that?”

“They excrete excess seawater by sneezing,” Kyungsoo blurts, then goes rigidly still like he would have loved to have said anything else. Jongin bites his lip. He’s never seen anything more endearing in his whole life and fuck everything why_ now_.

Jongin knows he can’t risk constantly staring at one-eye without drawing attention so he tries to blend in, nudging Kyungsoo’s shoulder with his own. “Keep talking.”

“Really?” There’s veiled scepticism in the word, like Kyungsoo isn’t quite used to others sitting through his own particular brand of dork. But Jongin has so often been the guy who can’t talk about _anything_ to a cute boy he’s on a date with because of his line of work (and that’s awful on so many levels and often why it’s easier to drive them away with a cruel word) so if Kyungsoo wants to wax poetic about tiny birds in suit-shaped fur for the ten minutes he’s going to be in Jongin’s life then Jongin is _not_ going to be bothered with it.

“Sure.” He smiles. “It’s-” Jongin remembers the hat he’s sporting. “Really interesting.”

Kyungsoo sits up a little straighter, surprised. Jongin pointedly does _not_ find that adorable. Nope. He squints out at the penguins, keeping one-eye as a surly cornerstone in his vision. He seems to be waiting, hunched. Jongin tries not to lean closer to Kyungsoo as he speaks, “How long does this display go for?”

“Oh? Uh, about fifteen minutes. They feed the penguins properly in their different enclosures later. This is just a token thing for the crowd.”

“Their…” Jongin notices one-eye cupping something in his pocket protectively as a mother and her two teenage girls squeeze past him, jostling them all in the small space. He still has the syringe. “Enclosures?”

Kyungsoo leans in. “Most of those ones,” Kyungsoo points to the half a dozen little happy penguins zooming laps. “They just stay behind the enclosure. You can even feed them if you want to book that. But the zoo has a pair of Adelie penguins too. Super rare. So they’re kept separate.”

“Ah, I see.” Jongin says. “Have you fed these ones often?”

Kyungsoo beams and the way his lips form a natural heart shape is _so_ cute. “Yeah. They all have names.”

That startles a laugh out of Jongin. “I bet they do.”

Kyungsoo looks shyly pleased that Jongin hasn’t died of boredom and a little traitorous something in Jongin wishes briefly that this wasn’t the world he lived in. That in some parallel universe somewhere they’d just be two guys who met somewhere cliché like the zoo -who both loved penguins, his idiotic mind supplies- and who maybe… might find each other interesting enough to go on a-

“Look!” Kyungsoo grabs Jongin’s wrist and points. “They’re not really a full colony but they behave like one with an order to how they feed. The one that goes first is always the biggest, see? He’ll get enough for himself and his mate.”

Jongin stays frozen on the spot, eyes locked not on the penguins but on one-eye. If he happens to notice them then Kyungsoo is in so much danger… Jongin yanks his arm out of Kyungsoo’s grip. It makes his companion realise what he’s done and Kyungsoo instantly goes bright pink, cupping his hands in his lap.

“Sorry. I just got…” he sighs and Jongin’s heart almost hurts. “I get a little overenthusiastic sometimes. I don’t mean to-”

Jongin knows he should keep his professional distance up but he can’t bear to hear that sad tone of voice coming from someone who thinks the world is still the kind of bright, happy place where you wear pictures of cartoon penguins out in public. He knows that above all else the mission comes first and to triage priority in terms of himself and his target and that Kyungsoo is safest if he doesn’t touch him again because if he’s recognised…

Jongin grabs his cap and places it onto Kyungsoo’s own head before he can finish apologising, trying to obscure as much of his features as he can. “No, no. It’s okay! You just startled me. And hey,” he offers a small smile and pats the hat gently. “You should keep this. You look nicer in it than me.”

Kyungsoo blinks up at Jongin from under the brim, pretty eyes wide. “Penguins moult all at once,” he murmurs.

_Oh Jesus._ “I needed to know that,” Jongin replies solemnly, clearing his throat. “Thank you.”

Cheeks pink, Kyungsoo turns back to the display and Jongin doesn’t let himself think too much on how he’s thrown precaution out the window. He knows it’s foolishly dangerous but Jongin suddenly doesn’t mind if _he’s_ seen as long as Kyungsoo isn’t recognisable.

Below them the handler starts tossing out little handfuls of miniature fish and Kyungsoo must bite his tongue really hard for the rest of the activity because he doesn’t say anything further, just points at interesting things and Jongin… well he watches. He watches one-eye and he watches the hungry penguins and he watches Kyungsoo out of the corner of his eye because ridiculous cartoon shirt (and now matching hat) aside, Kyungsoo really is the most distractingly cute thing there with his plush lips and mochi cheeks and constantly expressive hands and—Jongin blinks as a small siren sounds and the handler signals for all the penguins to leave the water.

“Thank you everyone for coming today! If you’d like to book a more hands-on session all these penguins are available for a feeding encounter later this afternoon. Book your spot at the administration desk at the front of the zoo.”

Jongin unfolds his big brochure and pretends to study it as the crowd gets to their feet and squeezes past him, making sure one-eye doesn’t lose himself in the mass of bodies. To Jongin’s right Kyungsoo shifts.

“So uh, I was wondering if—I mean you don’t have to, but maybe…” he fumbles and Jongin spots one-eye slowly stand and slip between a group of young men jostling and pushing at each other. Strangely enough he’s heading in the opposite direction of the big cat enclosure. Jongin immediately turns to Kyungsoo, mouth running a mile a minute before he can overthink it. He has an apology to make after all. And for a brief second seeing a certain penguin enthusiast smile again might just be of equal importance to solving a geopolitical dilemma. Perhaps he can do both.

“Did you want to get a drink? One of the iced tea stands around here? My shout.”

Kyungsoo gives him absolutely huge, stunned eyes. “Camouflage,” he squeaks and Jongin boggles at him because surely he can’t _know_-

Kyungsoo gulps. “Sorry. Penguins um, their coloring is specific whether you’re looking at them from below or above. Black to mix in with the depths from above and white to be mistaken for the surface water from below.”

Jongin melts. He bundles Kyungsoo to his feet, trying to control the sharp thumping of his heart as Kyungsoo quickly tugs his new cap to sit properly. _He shouldn’t be doing this, he should be strictly saying goodbye but… _Jongin quickly tracks one-eye over Kyungsoo’s head as he follows the group of men and slips into the growing crowd milling between exhibits. Jongin aims a brilliant smile at Kyungsoo. “Is there one over that way?”

Kyungsoo looks back over his shoulder in the direction one-eye has gone. “I think so.” He seems to collect himself because he squares his shoulders and stands a little straighter. “Follow me?”

“Absolutely,” Jongin quips and Kyungsoo honest to god blushes.

Jongin is so far gone he’s pretty sure he’s six feet under.

* * *

One-eye, Jongin concludes, is lost. He’s looking for something that’s most definitely not the large cat enclosure but whatever it is, he can’t find it. Jongin keeps his distance as Kyungsoo enthusiastically shows him a bubble tea cart that sells drinks with jellies shaped into every type of animal possible. Jongin buys two boba teas with penguin jellies on the company card and Kyungsoo practically falls over in delight when he receives his.

Discretely Jongin positions himself against one of the high stools set up around the cart, angling himself so he can see over Kyungsoo’s shoulder as one-eye pours over a huge map of the entire zoo set up on a decorative stone pedestal. Every now and again the courier thoughtfully palms the syringe in his pocket and Jongin can’t figure out what the fuck he’s doing. And until he actually goes somewhere and _does_ something Jongin can’t take him out. Not without causing a scene. So he sips on his milky tea and watches Kyungsoo peer into his cup and try to figure out exactly what type of penguins the jellies could be modelled after.

“…judging by the size of the chest and how rounded it is I’d say emperor but I need to get a better look at the heads.” Kyungsoo holds the cup up to the light of the sun and squints at it, engrossed. Jongin catches himself smiling softly and quickly sucks on his straw to hide the expression. _Stop that. He’s not cute. He’s not-_

“Definitely emperor. Leg width fits.”

Jongin grins around his straw, chuckling into his drink. When he glances back up Kyungsoo still has that look of adorable interest… but it’s not aimed at the penguins. When Kyungsoo’s eyes meet Jongin’s he very quickly looks away, absently tugging on one ear lobe.

“So what is it that you uh, do? I mean for a job. I don’t see many people at the zoo in nice suits.”

Jongin widens his smile, feeling it become professionally smooth. “Contractual work mostly.” He shrugs. “Very boring.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo pauses. “That’s nice. And so is the suit. I mean it looks…” he fumbles. “Nice. You look nice.” With a sad grimace Kyungsoo exhales slowly and studies his feet. “I really suck at this, huh?”

The little fluttering thing that’s set up residence in Jongin’s chest becomes sharp at the thought of Kyungsoo this embarrassed. So Jongin toes at Kyungsoo’s scuffed sneaker with his own Gucci dress shoe, making Kyungsoo raise his head. “You’re doing just fine.”

That earns him a self-depreciating laugh. Kyungsoo looks off into the distance, towards where one-eye is still milling about. “Twenty minutes.”

Jongin mumbles a quiet ‘huh?’ around his straw.

Kyungsoo’s pink bottom lip disappears into his mouth to be sucked on. It reappears slick and distractingly shiny when he finally speaks. “That’s how long penguins can stay underwater for. Sorry, I…” Kyungsoo clears his throat, still not quite looking at Jongin. “I don’t mean to, I just kind of blurt out facts when I’m nervous. It’s like a bad habit.”

Relief floods Jongin’s chest, soothing the sharp point. “It’s a great habit,” he replies, ducking his head and shifting half a step to the side to try and catch Kyungsoo’s eye. “I’m learning things,” he coaxes. “So I love it.” And Jongin realises with a start that he actually… does. It’s charming and kooky and Kyungsoo is now looking at him like he doesn’t believe Jongin in the slightest which is frankly unacceptable. So Jongin taps Kyungsoo’s plastic drink cup with his own, making all the penguins inside bob around.

“What about you? What do you do for work?”

Kyungsoo catches one of the jelly penguins and whisks it up his straw, chewing shyly. “I just changed jobs. I’m still on probation but I like it so far. Public relations.”

“Ah,” Jongin wishes for a split second that he could commiserate but the kind of public relations work _he _does on a regular basis isn’t exactly casual conversation. Jongdae would be in hysterics right now if he knew the internal dilemma Jongin was having. How do you tell the cute boy you’re talking to that you like long walks on the beach, ice cream in summertime and that your kill count is higher than your postcode?

In the background one-eye finally seems to make up his mind and slips down a double row of carnival-style carts that make up a sort of sideshow alley between exhibits. Jongin doesn’t have time to wish that things were different and he worked a nine-to-five desk job so he could talk with Kyungsoo about quarterly deadlines and office politics (which he strangely, fiercely wishes today that he _could_), so instead he takes Kyungsoo by the elbow and tugs him along to the row of carts.

“What’s fun to play here?”

Startled into a laugh, Kyungsoo looks at Jongin. “You want to play kids’ games?”

“Sure.” Jongin shrugs, smiling. If all he can ever be is present in Kyungsoo’s life for the briefest of times, he would like it to at least be a happy memory. “I want to show you my winning side.”

Kyungsoo’s shoes are suddenly very interesting. He purses his lips but Jongin can see the smile twitching on the sides. Finally Kyungsoo gives him a coy look and points. Jongin follows his finger.

“I always try to win the biggest stuffed animal at least once.” Kyungsoo says by way of explanation. “Never do because these things are rigged as much as a state fair but I have one go before I leave each time.”

Jongin looks at the stand full of three types of games; moving basketball hoops, pyramids of cork targets for air rifles and swivelling animal heads with opened mouths ready to catch ping-pong balls. He steps up to the hoops and fishes a few notes from his pocket. “You_ would_ pick something hard for me.”

Kyungsoo shrugs happily, eyebrows raised. “You asked.”

Jongin scans the rows of stuffed toys squashed in behind the attendee’s back on long rows of shelving. At the very end of the topmost row sits the biggest and one of them… Jongin pulls out a few more notes. One of them is a penguin. He uses the excuse of pocketing his wallet to glance at one-eye at the end of the row where he’s talking to a zoo staff member in their bright blue uniform. Jongin then gives Kyungsoo a determined look as he hands over the first few bills and gets given a set of four basketballs.

Kyungsoo looks like he’s having the best time watching Jongin about to make a total fool of himself. “I try every week,” he says airily. “It’s rigged. You’re not supposed to win the big stuff.”

Jongin narrows his eyes, places his half empty drink on the rim of the wooden cart and lifts the first ball. He judges the angle, lobs it and watches it bounce rather pathetically off the ever-moving rim. The mother of a small child next to him shoots Jongin a warning look when he curses out loud and Kyungsoo giggles from a step behind.

Jongin tries again. And again. He manages to sink the next two shots by sheer luck but the final ball zooms a lap around the rim before skidding off to land in the dirt. Two more paid rounds later and the attendant finally hands him a small purple squeaky toy in the shape of a mouse. Kyungsoo nearly doubles over as Jongin scowls at it.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo manages between breaths, eyes bright and happy. “For trying.”

The boy to Jongin’s left with his stern mother is still popping away with his air rifle, soft plastic bullets whizzing way too wide of their cork targets. He looks on the verge of tears, unable to hit anything. Jongin picks up his drink and is in the middle of turning away when he pauses. Downing the last of his tea in one long pull, he makes a show of looking around. “Hey is there a trash can around here?” He wiggles his cup. “I’m done.”

“Yeah, sure. Back by the food area.” Kyungsoo politely takes Jongin’s cup and sucks down the last of his own. “I’ll be right back.”

Jongin watches Kyungsoo walk back the way they came, leaning to one side to make sure he knows the exact moment Kyungsoo drops out of sight. The instant he does Jongin fishes his wallet out and spins back to the attendant. Tugging another set of notes out he hands them over and points to the air rifles. The guy shrugs, eternally bored and Jongin picks the pretend weapon up. He brings it to his shoulder and sights, closing an eye.

The first bullet lands low and to the right of where the sight is positioned. Obviously rigged, like Kyungsoo mentioned. Jongin checks one-eye’s positioning for half a second before returning his gaze to the stall, immediately compensating for the angle and drop off. He squeezes off the full magazine in rapid succession.

Every single target in front of him drops, pierced through the central base cork that mathematically allows each pyramid to collapse entirely. After a moment’s consideration Jongin then shoots the one in front of the child next to him as he’s shakily taking his hundredth shot, bullseyeing the whole row. As the mother sucks in a breath to holler horrible things at him Jongin crouches down and hands the boy his squeaky mouse, pointing at his tiny downed target and congratulating him. Instantly the child grabs and hugs it, delighted at finally getting a prize. Jongin stands and turns back to the stunned attendant.

“The big fluffy bird in the back.”

The attendant, eyes now huge, takes down the toy and hands it over wordlessly.

Kyungsoo’s face when he reappears is _priceless_. Jongin proudly hands him the penguin; it’s nearly bigger than his torso. Kyungsoo peers over the top of it. “How the fuck..?”

“Beginner’s luck,” Jongin replies. “And the kid helped.” He high-fives the small boy as they move on, watching him wave his new mouse with great enthusiasm.

Kyungsoo hugs the huge stuffed toy to his chest as they walk a safe distance behind the courier. Along with the cap it conveniently obscures almost all of him. He mumbles something about _best day ever_ and Jongin bites the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.

* * *

It’s Kyungsoo who tugs Jongin in the direction of the walk-through aquarium that’s kind of a loop back from the end of the carnival carts, bringing them almost behind where they started their little adventure. Jongin lets himself be led on account of the fact that one-eye has slowly made his way in the same direction.

Jongin is convinced he’s swapped targets at this point because not once has the courier even approached the end of the zoo complex that houses the large cats and there’s nowhere else the South China tiger would be. But Jongin will be damned before he could think of anything_ else_ worth using the poison on in this whole entire zoo. The man smuggled the deadly liquid across several continents and through South Korean border control with the explicit intention of using it on the one animal that would cause the biggest political distress. The critically endangered tiger on loan from China was the whole _point_ of this mission. Jongin was briefed on the international repercussions for a solid six hours before he caught his flight here once the National Intelligence Service had learned of the attempt.

His brief had been to dispose of the courier before he got to the zoo (which had gone to shit, but that’s par for the course with these kind of assignments so backup plans were always a contingency). But now all that’s happening is that Jongin is becoming incredibly well acquainted with the aquatic displays here instead. And… accidentally having the sweetest date he’s ever been on.

It’s _not _a date. It’s not.

_Is it? _

Jongin shouldn’t be thinking this hard.

Jongdae and Chanyeol were totally going to throw him into the nearest interrogation room when he got back to headquarters and not let him out until Jongin told them every single detail. He knows this like the back of his hand.

Kyungsoo glances at Jongin, who has to snap his eyes away from one-eye who is casually ambling into the long, glass-domed tunnel like he’s about to murder a fish. At this point Jongin wouldn’t put it past him.

“Did you-” Kyungsoo motions shyly for the aquarium entrance but Jongin smoothly takes him by the wrist and walks backwards, hiding his face from the courier should he look behind him.

“Absolutely. Do they have penguins in here?”

Kyungsoo answers that with a roll of his eyes. “Not unless they want to be eaten by a shark.”

“Ah. Of course.” Jongin glances down at his own white and black ensemble. “Do I look enough like one that they’d want to eat me?”

Kyungsoo shoves him with a snort. “You look more like you’re supposed to flash me with a neuralyzer like that Men in Black movie.”

“Yes but then you’d forget me.” Jongin realises he’s pouting the words only after they leave his mouth, flirting with his bottom lip pushed out. “Would you want to forget me?’

The pink blooming on Kyungsoo’s face is visible even through the aquamarine lighting that hits them both as they enter the huge glass tunnel. His mouth opens then closes. “Eighty-two percent,” he finally whispers. Jongin waits, expectant. Kyungsoo ducks his head.

“That’s how often chinstrap penguins re-pair with the same partner.”

Grinning, Jongin makes a show of thinking that over. He swings Kyungsoo’s wrist teasingly. “Right. So I have to have a better percentage than that if I want to be remembered. Good to know.”

Kyungsoo smacks him with the stuffed penguin that he’s been clinging to. “You’re at one hundred percent.”

Jongin _thrills_ from head to toe, releasing Kyungsoo’s wrist now that he’s no longer dragging him anywhere. People shuffle past them, moving back and forth. “Really?”

Kyungsoo deliberately doesn’t look at him, instead finding the schools of fish and manta rays gliding overhead to be of peak interest as they step onto the thin travellator that ferries people through the busy aquarium. Jongin feels like dancing.

Instead he subtly angles Kyungsoo between himself and one-eye under the premise of inspecting a brightly-striped fish so that all the courier would see a crowded few meters ahead if he looked their way was Kyungsoo’s back. And then Jongin keeps himself facing in the direction of where they entered and points at several of the rays who have gathered about the diver nearby with his bags of food, looking for all the world like every other tourist. He taps Kyungsoo’s waist to get his attention. “Is there a way to tell which one has eaten?”

Kyungsoo makes an affirmative sound. “They have a belly. If you disregard the wings and look at the part that looks like a sandglass carefully, I think that’s the belly.”

“No I’m asking if this person can tell if he’s fed them all.” Jongin clarifies, trying to follow one of the floating vacuum cleaners with his hand as they hoover along the glass after their food. All of them pay absolutely zero attention to him. “I mean they might have names.” He points at the nearest ray. “This one is Yeppie, this one is Chorongie. This one is Jongsoo-”

“They’re not puppies,” Kyungsoo laughs, giving Jongin the softest double-take imaginable. “And did you just—did you name a ray after us?”

“Um. Maybe?” It’s Jongin’s turn to feel the heat in his cheeks. _There is no ‘us’_ he reminds himself sternly. He uses the moment to quietly step on one of the laces he leaves deliberately long and single-knotted on his left shoe, pulling his other foot away discretely until the lace falls undone. Then he pretends to notice it, dropping to one knee to tie it back up again and glance around Kyungsoo’s legs at his target. “They should be given names like that so it’s easy to tell them apart. I mean how else does he feed them all?”

Kyungsoo bops Jongin on the top of his head with the penguin. “The same way they feed all the animals here. With careful consultation from specialist veterinary nutritionists and lots of maths to do with portion control.”

“Ah,” Jongin watches one-eye disappear momentarily around the gentle curve in the aquarium’s centre, carried along by the ever-moving travellator. Kyungsoo continues above him.

“I mean of course the animals with a special diet would need more care. Like those Adelie penguins I told you about? The super rare pair? Their food is monitored like crazy.” His eyes light up as Jongin stands back up. “The private holding area is big but it’s accessible at the other end of this aquarium. I know the trainer who looks after all the different special needs animals; he was my college lecturer one year if you want to take a quick look? He’ll let us in for five minutes if I ask.”

Jongin pauses, wheels suddenly turning in his brain so fast he feels dizzy. “Are…” He has to lower his voice to drop into a more casual tone. “Are there many different special needs animals in this enclosure? Besides just penguins?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “Sure. I mean it depends on what the zoo has going at the time but I’ve seen some really rare Amur leopards there once. They were stunning. We’ll get off in a moment and the door is just beside the exit. It’s an employee entrance so we’ll have to-”

Jongin shoots a look behind Kyungsoo as they round the curve of the aquarium. He hurriedly scans the crowd but he already knows in the pit of his stomach before he sees it; one-eye is gone.

The STAFF ONLY sign on the door at the very end of the aquarium catches the dancing ocean lights as it swings slowly closed.

And Jongin finally knows where the tiger is.

* * *

Kyungsoo hops off the end of the travellator as the aquarium display ends not far from the doorway Jongin desperately needs. As they both return to the brightness of the outside world Kyungsoo seems to be looking for the staff member he knows but Jongin has no time for trivialities like legal entry. He squirms a little, deliberately looking sheepish as he gets Kyungsoo’s attention.

“I had way too many coffees before I got here. I’m just going to...” Jongin jerks a thumb back over his shoulder. Two unisex restrooms are attached to the outer structure. Kyungsoo follows his gesture and smiles.

“Oh. Yeah it’s a long train ride home, I should probably think ahead too.” He places the penguin in Jongin’s hands with an apologetic, “Do you mind if I go first?”

And suddenly it’s over just as fast as it began. Jongin hesitates, words he can’t say squeezing up his throat in a rush but he forces himself to swallow them and nod. He watches Kyungsoo walk away, face schooled into the most pleasant smile he can muster. It cracks a little as Kyungsoo vanishes into the restroom because right here, right now is where Jongin should dump the soft toy in the dirt and make for the restricted feeding enclosure as fast as he can. Kyungsoo is as good as forgotten; he needs to come out of that bathroom and find the discarded penguin gathering dust and Jongin only a memory that maybe ten years from now he’ll half-remember in a dream. That’s procedure. Those are the _rules_.

Jongin grips the penguin tightly, face screwed up as his chest gives a twist. All the words burn, unsaid.

Swearing, he darts forward and pushes the restroom door open. The bathroom feature is small, holding only a pair of sinks, a changing table and two unisex stalls. Only one is occupied. Kyungsoo is very faintly singing to himself as he pees and something in Jongin aches to call out. To just say goodbye. Something. Anything. If only to hear Kyungsoo respond one last time. It’s stupid and reckless and Jongin almost _does _but he bites his tongue just in time, swallowing the traitorous emotions.

Calling himself every stupid name under the sun Jongin quickly and carefully places the penguin on the corner of the sink before flicking on the entranceway lock as he leaves, making sure no one else can come in before Kyungsoo finishes.

Then he runs back to the aquarium, squeezing between tourists and families until he can get to the solid steel door marked STAFF ONLY. Jongin turns, places his back to the door and gazes up at a passing shark, seemingly enthralled. The instant no one is looking he opens the door and backs inside.

The hallway is grey and sterile; fluorescent lighting hums and sizzles overhead. To his right is an indexed list of animals scribbled on a whiteboard. Jongin scans it from top to bottom. There’s no South China tiger listed, but on the third row from the end a single line has been hastily swiped clean. Jongin has one chance at guessing right and this needs to be it. He gives his tiny earpiece a tap as he moves slowly down the hallway. If Jongdae is back he’ll initiate comms.

It takes less than four seconds. ‘_Status update?’_

Jongin passes by different locked rooms all marked with lengthy, important-sounding names. Department of Animal Programs. Office of Nutrition and Handling. He methodically tests the handles of each one as he goes. Locked. “I have a lead on the tiger. But I’ll need that clean-up crew brought in on my mark.” He keeps his voice low but his handler has far too much Jongin-sense for his own good.

_‘Is everything okay? You sound… different.’_

Jongin twitches a shoulder in annoyance, even though Jongdae can’t see it. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” _Focus Jongin. Focus._

_‘If you say so…’_ Jongdae goes to make what is probably a far too insightful comment so Jongin cuts him off before he has to hear it. Jongdae means well but he doesn’t need to know that Jongin nearly jeopardised two entire countries by hesitating too long for a pair of kind eyes and a soft smile.

“Going dark. Will call to confirm the takedown.”

_‘Radio silence,’_ Jongdae acknowledges after a pause and Jongin is once again alone in his own head. Except, he thinks bitterly, for the ghost of a sweet penguin-hugging boy that follows him while he ducks down the long hallway, moving fast until he reaches the large rooms housing the animal pens. The third one along has a door that sits just faintly ajar.

Jongin withdraws his weapon, cupping the handgun up against one shoulder as he toes the door fully open. It swings wide and Jongin follows the momentum without hesitation, soundlessly stepping into the room. It’s almost entirely lined with labelled, stacked feed crates down one wall and Jongin scans his limited view, sweeping his line of sight with his weapon.

To his opposite side is the first of what looks like a series of massive cages that along with the crates seem to make the room much smaller than intended. The closest cage houses a snoozy looking lemur but Jongin can hear a low, feline growl from further along. He moves quickly.

The smell of used straw and grain is strong in here and Jongin slips along, one foot steadily in front of the other until he reaches the source of the sound. Several wide-eyed monkeys stare up at him as he passes and in one far cage a bored leopard ignores everything. But the cage that Jongin needs is the easiest to spot.

One-eye is on front of it, syringe of golden liquid in one hand. Jongin steps out from beside the crates and sights down the barrel of his weapon. “Drop it or you’re a dead man.” He cocks the handgun in clear warning, the deadly click echoing around the room.

His back to Jongin, one-eye raises the hand holding the syringe above his head followed closely by his other empty one. He turns slowly, arms upraised, locking onto his new company. From this close Jongin can just see the sweat beading on his receding hairline. Still, one-eye smiles crookedly at the threat and in that horrible moment Jongin knows it’s not going to be easy. This particular courier has been in the game long enough to understand the rules. He knows that Jongin’s mere presence in this room means that only one of them is walking out of it.

Contractual government assassins take no prisoners unless instructed. And that fact meant that regardless of what the courier does now, he has mere minutes to live. Jongin always hated when they figured the finality of that part out. Because in the space of a breath the courier lunges towards the cage, jabbing the syringe down.

Jongin fires.

The primates scream, rattling the bars of their cages. Jongin’s high-calibre bullet hits home, striking the courier’s shoulder and one- eye drops the syringe, tendons in the topmost part of his arm blown through. The tiger roars, lunging at the bars of it’s cage to swipe a huge paw out and one-eye stumbles back, falling onto his ass. Jongin dives at the syringe first, landing a heavy boot on the delicate glass just as one-eye shoves himself up like a runner at the starting line and barrels his entire weight into Jongin. It sends them both crashing back into the stacked crates and splintered wood rains down everywhere, feed spilling loose like slippery sand. Jongin’s gun spins away at the impact, skittering across the floor.

A fist slams into Jongin’s chin but one-eye is unbalanced without his injured left arm to counterpunch and Jongin rolls with it, shaking the stars away to bring his leg up and knee the other man as hard as he can in the stomach. As he doubles over Jongin pulls his body to one side and swings an arm around one-eye’s neck, pulling the courier back against him into a stiff choke hold. With all his strength Jongin applies pressure as one-eye scrabbles, trying to get a grip on his wrists to pry loose.

Just as he’s panting and squeezing the headlock home Jongin hears a set of footsteps patter into the room, a staff member obviously alerted by the gunshot. There’s nowhere to go for cover and Jongin grits his teeth, trying to silence one-eye as he gargles—but in the next instant Jongin’s whole body freezes.

Kyungsoo rounds the corner of the fallen crates, fluffy penguin still in his grip. His eyes go impossibly wide as he spots the two interlocked, blood-smeared men.

“Jongin?”

Jongin goes impossibly still. _What the fuck is he doing here_\- and in that single second of distraction one-eye jabs a hard elbow back into his kidney and Jongin crumples, winded. His hold loosens. One-eye jams that same elbow back and it catches Jongin across the ear. Pain lances up the side of his skull.

As Jongin stumbles back one-eye pulls free and reaches his undamaged arm behind himself, withdrawing a miniature handgun. It’s small enough to almost be comical but Jongin knows the type on sight; assembled from resin and plastic and designed to pass airport scanners it holds a single bullet. The courier would have carried it in parts on his flight over and slipped through boarder control with it scattered innocuously throughout his luggage. But now here it sits assembled and… Jongin swallows.

“You fuckers,” one-eye wheezes around his damaged throat and Jongin realises with stomach-dropping horror that he’s speaking in plural; he picked up on Kyungsoo calling him by name. The weapon swings almost in slow motion and Jongin watches Kyungsoo come to a frightened stop just as the courier centres the handgun on him instead. He seems to clutch the penguin tighter, eyes huge. And Jongin recognises the moment the damaged man who already knows he has absolutely nothing left to lose decides to make it hurt as much before the end for Jongin too.

One-eye shoots.

Jongin moves without thinking as the trigger is puled and the primates scream again. He’d aimed for his shoulder to try and connect with Kyungsoo but he’s too far and all he can do is throw himself bodily in front. The impact is instantaneous and heavy.

Jongin collapses to both Kyungsoo’s yell and the burning force of the bullet ripping through his side. He doesn’t register hitting the ground but it’s there all too soon as Kyungsoo reaches him first, skidding over and dropping to his knees and this wasn’t how it was supposed to go, this isn’t it at all, this is all _wrong-_

Kyungsoo’s knees hit the hard floor beside Jongin’s waist and he reaches for the wound. “Nonono…” He smacks a hand on the bloodied entrance area and Jongin wants to push him away, to tell him to get the fuck out because he can’t protect him, he can’t…

“Run,” Jongin begs, his whole side a mess of pain. “Get out.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond. The penguin is still there, Jongin thinks fuzzily. Even after all this. Propped on his thighs. It’s a strange detail but Jongin can’t seem to focus. Everything is impermanent. He’s losing blood.

Kyungsoo looks up as one-eye approaches, sauntering across the small space. His previously peaceful face is a mess of anger and something Jongin can’t figure out. It’s beautiful and deadly and Jongin is close to delirious if he thinks Kyungsoo is stunning even like this. He tries to shove Kyungsoo away from him but his fingers are strangely cold and they slip in red streaks across Kyungsoo’s wrist as he applies pressure to Jongin’s side with his hand.

One-eye reaches them and even with his useless left arm Jongin knows what’s going to happen. He struggles to sit up but Kyungsoo ignores his pleas and keeps him pinned. His eyes look like fire. Jongin finally clasps Kyungsoo’s single hand wetly, wanting to apologise, to tell him everything and say he’s so sorry his heart could break for it. For dragging him into this massive mess…

But Kyungsoo doesn’t move. He sits back on his haunches, Jongin curled weakly about his knees and looks the courier in the eye. Then the penguin explodes, chest puffing outward in a sharp line of fluff and material. One-eye freezes for half a second, a stunned look flitting across his face before he collapses. He’s dead before he hits the ground.

Kyungsoo throws the toy and what Jongin can see is a handgun aside and kneels over him, fingers deftly going to the miniature ear piece hidden in the crook of Jongin’s ear. He tugs it out and inserts it in his own, talking rapid-fire.

“Callsign Delta Oscar. Who is this handler?”

Jongin blinks, everything dipping in and out of focus but he can’t piece this all together in between the dark that’s creeping up his vision. _What the hell…_ He can hear Kyungsoo still talking.

“-need an extraction immediately. And a containment crew. Threat neutralised but I have an agent down. Hey, hey. No stay with me. Jongin?”

There’s a moment where Jongin can feel a soft hand on his cheek and Kyungsoo whispering frantic things but he loses consciousness before he can make them out. The hand is so, so warm. And Kyungsoo is safe. No matter what happens that’s… that’s going to be enough.

* * *

The hospital room is pale white with brightly pink and blue-tinged accents. Cartoon pictures of plump, happy animals dance across the ceiling, leading in a long line down to a collection of brightly colored balloon animals on one side table. All of this is how Jongin knows he’s woken up in one of the government-run facilities his company employs as a front. A fully functioning private children’s hospital with an entire wing and medical team on standby for whenever a dark, unmarked car pulls up to the emergency department with a bleeding agent in the back.

A particularly artistic balloon decoration sitting amongst the pile is twisted into the shape of a gigantic dick with Chanyeol’s handwriting cheerfully scribbled across it in marker. Sometimes assassins really are ridiculous. Jongin blinks and groans, smacking his dry post-surgery mouth.

Lifting one side of the thin white sheet with his IV-attached hand shows a long bandage covering most of his side; Jongin lets his head thump back against the covers and sighs up at the joyful cartoon animals. Rolling his face to the right he can make out a small thawing jug of ice chips and a paper cup. Reaching for them makes his side ache so he’s in the process of trying to half sit up awkwardly while not pulling any stitches when the door to his room opens. Jongin ignores it; he can just hook his fingertips onto the cup lip…

“Sit back before I have them strap you to the bed.”

Jongin’s fingers fumble at the familiar voice and he knocks the cup off the table. Trying to catch it only makes him arch in pain and the next second there’s a small, firm hand on his shoulder pushing him back and softly exasperated words.

“Do I have to call Jongdae in to babysit you? That’s his name right?”

Jongin blinks up at Kyungsoo, leaning over him with a look caught halfway between stern and worried. Jongin smiles automatically at the sight of his face before the memories all come crashing back. A fluffy penguin. Sweet tea and a shirt with comic sans. Blood and straw and a manta ray named Jongsoo. A wooden toy rifle and a very real plastic gun. A boy with big, shy eyes and shockingly steady hands. Jongin stares, confused and still unable to make his thoughts line up through the post-surgery pain medication.

“Who _are_ you?” 

Kyungsoo smiles softly, sinking down onto the side of the bed now that he’s sure Jongin isn’t going to fall out of it. “I’m Kyungsoo,” he says quietly. Jongin shifts a leg under the sheet and knees him gently in the butt.

“I didn’t hit my head. _What_ are you?” He remembers a designation callsign and they’re only carried by… Jongin blinks as Kyungsoo reaches for a fresh cup and pours out several watery ice chips. He hands it over and makes sure Jongin isn’t going to drop it.

“I’m with the undercover division,” Kyungsoo replies, confirming Jongin’s suspicion. He looks almost sheepish. “I started last week. This diplomatic mission was my first assignment.”

Jongin remembers Jongdae’s reference to the company hiring recently. All of a sudden Kyungsoo’s comment that he had just changed jobs makes perfect sense. “Public relations huh?” he asks, looking pointedly over the rim of his cup as he takes a small sip.

Kyungsoo flushes. “I scored low on the lawful deception units. I find white lies work better for me.”

The cold water is incredibly soothing. Jongin crunches on a sliver of ice. “Nice work then. Agent.” He stresses the word, hoping it hides the wistfulness under laid. He hesitates. “So you were briefed on me? On my participation?”

Kyungsoo replaces the jug. “I was informed there would be an on-call assassin assigned to the case. I didn’t know it was you until I saw you at the zoo.”

Ah._ Ouch_. Jongin nods, swallowing at those words. A tiny chunk seems to wedge in his throat. Of course. It had been a mission on both their sides; just as Jongin was mingling with Kyungsoo to tail the courier he’d been played by the undercover agent in turn. Great. It was all… Jongin really shouldn’t have let himself get swept away in the moment. What an embarrassment. Chanyeol and Jongdae would tease him about this until the ends of time. He feels like sinking into the covers and never coming out.

Kyungsoo seems to sense a shift in Jongin’s mood because he stretches back to the side table and picks up the jaunty dick balloon. “Sixteen inches.”

“No it’s not,” Jongin quips and Kyungsoo bats him with it.

“Not this. That’s the size of the smallest penguin species. It’s the Little Blue penguin.”

Jongin downs the last of the iced water. It had been so incredibly endearing before but now… “You don’t have to keep doing it,” he mumbles and Kyungsoo shoots him a confused look.

“Doing what?”

“The…” Jongin gestures with the empty cup. “Undercover bit. I get it. You’re off duty now. Mission over, villain dead, international crisis diverted, yadda yadda yadda.”

“You’re pouting.”

“Am not. But you don’t have to keep it up.”

Kyungsoo levels Jongin with a look that seems suddenly far too shy. “Uh, I would love to but I can’t exactly turn it off.”

Oh his ears are turning pink now. Jongin squints. “Huh?”

“It’s…” Kyungsoo plays with the tip of the cock, running his fingers distractedly across the fat, plastic tip and Jongin kind of wants to strangle himself with it because _that_ image is going to be burned into his dreams. “I really love penguins, okay?”

Jongin finally snatches the balloon toy off him with his good hand. He tosses it aside and is pretty sure some random nurse is going to get a surprise when she cleans the room later. “Really?”

Kyungsoo nods, looking at his lap. He offers a small, hidden smile and Jongin wonders if you can pull a stitch just from pining too hard.

“Yeah that was… that was me. When I’m nervous. It really is a bad habit. I should probably try to change it before I get assigned again-”

Jongin looks him in the eye. “It’s a great habit,” he replies carefully, all the air in his lungs coming out on those hopeful few words. Kyungsoo glances up sharply, remembering their conversation from before. His mouth does that slow curve up into a heart shape until he’s practically beaming at Jongin and god he looks so surprised and happy. Jongin wants to try and say something –to see if he’s been reading too much into all of this or not- when the room is suddenly filled with several more larger, excited bodies; Chanyeol and Jongdae barrelling in to visit.

Kyungsoo gets nestled out of the way as the two other agents descend loudly on Jongin’s bed, arms full of stupidly large bouquets and bags of presents. Kyungsoo quietly steps aside, lost in the ensuing chaos and hovers for a few seconds at the back of the room before slipping out. Jongin is about to call after him when Chanyeol dumps his armful of gifts on the table.

“Hey where did my special balloon go?”

* * *

Jongin drifts in and out of medically-assisted consciousness as he recovers, rest deemed the most healing by his doctors as he’s monitored and he takes the sleep eagerly. He has the strangest dreams though. In one of them he’s sure he knows there’s someone nearby, but when he’s woken for meals he’s alone.

On the final day before his discharge he wakes to find a familiar bundle of fluff sitting on the bedside table. The big toy penguin is a little lopsided now but it’s propped up, a bandage stuck across the hole in its middle.

Jongdae absolutely doesn’t miss the penguin when he arrives to drive Jongin home. His eyebrows shoot up to comical levels as Jongin stands ready to go by his bed, fluffy bird tucked under one arm.

“That didn’t come from me.”

“Nope.” Jongin walks past him. Jongdae helpfully grabs his overnight bag and holds the door open.

“Or Chanyeol.”

Jongin deliberately pretends he can’t hear and keeps his mouth shut, squeezing the penguin tighter. Jongdae skips after him, mouth kicked up at the corners, trailing questions the entire trip home.

Jongin stores his bag in the trunk. He keeps the penguin on his lap.

* * *

The very large and very conversation-inducing toy takes up residence on the small desk Jongin uses when he’s not out on assignment. He’d often wondered in the last few days he had home as to how he could repair the penguin’s wound but he can’t sew even a button to save his life and his friends are equally as useless. So the fluffy form of the penguin returns with him to work and enjoys it’s view of the busy bullpen of agents from Jongin’s desk. It’s all he can offer it really, since there’s not exactly any windows in the subterranean complex.

The office-like setup within the building exists because contrary to popular belief, killing for work has an inordinate amount of paperwork attached to it. And Jongin with the highest body count in the department is often elbows-deep in the printed aftermath. Bond movies lie about so much. Jongin tries to distract himself from thoughts of Kyungsoo with signing waver forms.

Thankfully Chanyeol rescues him on the afternoon of his first day back by plonking his butt on the corner of Jongin’s desk and delivering a sealed diplomatic pouch from China. It contains a thickset envelope.

“The secretary of state sends his thanks. He was particularly impressed with the lack of collateral given the public venue.”

Jongin cracks opens the seal on the pouch and skims the message. “We got lucky.”

“Yixing still wants you to attend the state dinner so he can congratulate you in person and make a nice big fuss behind closed doors.” Chanyeol eyes Jongin. “So about this ‘we’…”

Jongin replaces the envelope and stuffs the bag into a top drawer, spinning the small combination lock on it. “I regret telling you any of this.”

Chanyeol’s grin is endlessly happy. If his legs weren’t too long to kick he’d be swinging them right about now. “You know Jongdae would have spilled the beans eventually. He had access to your mission report after all. Plus it was so cute how Kyungsoo wouldn’t even leave the emergency department that first day until he got to see you in hospital-”

“I need coffee.” Jongin stands up, shoving past Chanyeol who very helpfully trails him out into the long hallway staff use for their breaks. It’s filled with far too many vending machines because apparently even those who save the world need to pay ten thousand won for a chocolate bar.

“So have you spoken to him yet?”

Jongin pulls up to a stop beside the singular best addition to their lair since the tech gurus figured out how to get wifi to stop bouncing off the triple layer of concrete surrounding the headquarters; a high-end coffee machine. He stuffs a pod into the receptacle, uncaring of the fact that it’s the unhealthiest choice there. He needs a chai latte. “Not yet. I haven’t seen him today and I still need to do my re-evaluation after my injury.”

The urge to find Kyungsoo in the huge complex had been nearly impossible to resist from the moment he had returned but the stacks of bureaucratic red tape that had greeted him had reined in that impulse. Still Jongin feels it like a low buzz in his fingertips. Kyungsoo is here. Really here. Somewhere.

Chanyeol looks incredibly smug at that comment and sneaks in a second cup next to Jongin’s on the machine’s silver pouring tray. “Is that scheduled for today?” he asks, far too innocently.

Jongin narrows his eyes. “Why?”

Chanyeol stuffs his hands into his pockets, shrugging. “Just curious,” he replies casually. Jongin shoots him a look as Chanyeol presses the button on the machine that starts the milk steaming.

“Upstairs wants me re certified and back out in the field by next week,” Jongin answers slowly. “Something about a diplomatic envoy to Hong Kong that needs protection. So I have a slot open for use any time this afternoon. You know how the boys from ballistics love me.”

“Please don’t show them up again.” Chanyeol tips a finger at him. “You know how territorial they get over the scorecard count.” He shifts his cup from below the coffee dispenser nozzle to the freshly-steamed milk. His moves are calm and slow but his voice gives it away. “But you should take today’s slot.”

“Why?” Jongin watches Chanyeol’s cup bubble up with the thick milk foam on top of the coffee, frowning. “Is Minseok in a rush or something?”

“Nope,” Chanyeol retrieves his cup and nudges Jongin’s into position with the air of a friend about to drop the biggest surprise. He’s grinning like he could burst. “You’ve been assigned Kyungsoo as your assessor this week.”

“What-” Reaching for his cup Jongin nearly drops it. Smooth. “Ow. How?” He wipes his abused fingers, flicking the hot droplets away. Clearing his throat he tries again. “I mean… he’s not even assigned to certification. He’s undercover.”

Chanyeol takes a sip of his drink. “You know the lesser-used operatives need a secondary position for when they’re not in the field. I looked into Kyungsoo and his previous position was a rifle instructor in the military.”

_So he has combat experience too_, Jongin thinks with a tingle that sits low in his belly. Fuck.

Yeah, Jongin is… he never thought he had a type but maybe all it took was short, cute, messy-haired and kindhearted. With the ability to drop a target at a hundred yards apparently.

Chanyeol closes Jongin’s mouth with the tip of his finger. “So in short: please go ask him out before someone else does.”

Jongin swallows the burn his stomach produces at those words. He knows Chanyeol isn’t talking about himself; he’s in a might-as-well-be-married relationship with their top linguistics expert Baekhyun and Jongin has never seen two people so committed, both to each other and to scarring the cleaners for life when they stumble on them both in the middle of the night ‘working late’.

But the words still bounce around inside Jongin’s skull, echoing. Unable to bring himself to speak for a moment he finally squeezes the words out, jealousy sticking to the insides of his chest like glue. “Is Kyungsoo… I mean is anyone-is there someone here who wants to ask him out?”

Chanyeol shrugs. “I asked around. He may be new but he’s had offers. Rumor has it he’s declined them so far.”

“Ah,” Jongin frowns into his coffee cup. He remembers their accidentally intertwined missions. How he never found out if things had been more than one-sided. “Maybe he’s just not interested in dating. I wasn’t.”

“Maybe…” Chanyeol replies softly with a look that plainly says Jongin is being a moron. “The rest of them didn’t have a stuffed penguin.”

* * *

The practice range is blessedly, wonderfully empty when Jongin arrives. Not that he snuck a peek around the basement level and the strange little offices attached to it just to make sure before he kitted up or anything. None of the ballistics team are here yet and no… criminally attractive assessor. Yet.

Safety glasses, vest and hearing protection on, Jongin allows the routine of checking, loading and setting up the series of handguns on offer to calm him. It’s mostly automatic and he works his way through each of the different weapons on the long training bench methodically. He pulls up six practice targets at the furthest end of the range, sets them at the correct distance and jacks the slide on the first handgun, chambering the starting bullet. Then with a long breath he raises the weapon, sights and fires without pause, emptying the small clip.

The projectiles rip through the paper. Six targets; six bullseyes. Clean through the centre mass of each page. Jongin knows there won’t be anything left of the central circle marker to identify outside of the faintly singed hole. Ballistics are going to hate him when he outscores their current first place record holder again. Jongin grins to himself and steadies his stance, picking up the second weapon and chambering a round.

A light signalling that someone else has entered the range makes Jongin automatically slide one side of the soundproof headphones he’s wearing off as per safety precautions just before he takes another aim down the range’s length and squeezes the trigger.

“Nice shooting.”

Jongin’s shot jerks wide, striking the metal bracket that holds the target in place, missing absolutely everything in view and ricocheting off to land in the dirt. Holding the weapon up like a fool for a moment longer he hears a familiar deep laugh.

“Sorry, did I startle you?”

Jongin looks around. Kyungsoo is standing about a foot away, his own hands cupped over his ears and his eyebrows raised innocently at his question. Jongin swallows thickly, yanking his headphones down to rest around his neck.

Kyungsoo is decked out in casual jeans and a dark grey shirt with a tiny, adorable penguin pictured balancing on a floating ice chunk. It’s winking up at Jongin and the speech bubble below its flippers says _I think you’re cool… let’s chill?_

Jongin flicks his eyes quickly back up to Kyungsoo’s face. “Uh, no. I just…” Jongin glances down the range, scratching his head. “Missed.” 

Kyungsoo lowers his hands, smiling. “Well whenever you’re ready we can start the assessment, but there’s no rush. It’s just good to see you healthy again.”

“It’s nice to be back.” Jongin replies quietly. He takes a half step closer. “So um, I've been meaning to say thank-”

Kyungsoo’s phone rings. With a hurried apology Kyungsoo excuses himself and briefly steps back outside of the noisy range to take the call, the soundproof door clicking shut again behind him. Jongin slumps. 

One of the perpetually irritating ballistics team saunters past while Jongin is running through his head what he should say next. The guy makes a show of slinging his hearing protection off, glancing pointedly at the sizeable dent in the holding bracket at the end of the range and then the spent bullet on the floor. He pulls up and goes almost toe to toe with Jongin, shoving into his space just to smirk. “Looks like someone finally lost their edge.”

Without breaking eye contact Jongin rises his right hand and fires the rest of the clip down the range. The ballistics boy shrieks and covers his ears, cowering at the unconstrained reverberation in the long, cavernous space. Jongin doesn’t flinch and when he lowers his arm the guy whirls around, eyeing the gently waving piece of paper. Nine bullet holes are clustered about the centre.

He spins back, peeling his hands from his ears furiously but Kyungsoo bounces back in right that moment.

“Sorry about that. Where were we?”

Jongin eyes the other guy. “Something about me retaking my assessment,” he mutters darkly and the asshole finally slinks away, flipping him off behind Kyungsoo’s back. Jongin smiles sweetly back because he knows the exact color Chanyeol’s face is going to go when he has to tell him off later.

Kyungsoo nods, pulling a pen from his back pocket. It has a squishy orange topper on the end shaped like a penguin. “Right. You have all week if you really find you need it but we’ll see how we go today. You just have to get through the physical, the psyche eval and the range.” 

“Are you doing… all of them?” Jongin asks faintly. Why did Minseok pick _now_ of all times to take leave?

“Just the weapons. Junmyeon will handle the rest.”

Jongin nods. There feels like a million different things he wants to say but now that Kyungsoo’s back to standing in front of him Jongin is viscerally reminded of simple things like how plush his lips are or how he’s the perfect height for Jongin to throw an arm around his shoulders and hug him and hey, maybe they should get a drink sometime. Another one. One where they’re both not tailing an internationally wanted criminal-

Kyungsoo smiles up at him expectantly, penguin pen poised. Jongin promptly forgets all his prepared words in the wake of those bright eyes.

When Jongin doesn't answer Kyungsoo helpfully gestures to the targets assembled on the far end of the range. “You can continue practising until you want to start-” he offers and Jongin nods weakly, returning to the guns on the bench. He picks up a modified semiautomatic and it’s clip.

“-I’ll just watch.”

Jongin fumbles the clip and drops it on the floor.

* * *

“It was so_ embarrassing_,” Jongin whines.

The soft beige lounge suite in Jongdae’s office is long enough that Jongin is flopped out on it like some kind of an impromptu therapist’s couch. He groans into the pillow he’s holding over his face. “I couldn’t hit a single target for the next hour. In the end Kyungsoo even sent the weapon away for re-calibration because he thought there had to be something wrong with it. But he was so handsome standing there that I couldn’t focus…”

Jongdae laughs softly as he walks around the room, slowly watering the endless collection of succulents he seems to love collecting. “Remind me again why you didn’t just ask him out?”

“I tried. But he'd decided to check my grip at that point and so he got really close behind me and held my hands and… fuck, Dae. I haven’t even thanked him for saving my life yet. And now he probably thinks I’m a total klutz-”

“To be fair you are. But only around him.”

Jongin shifts the pillow to glare at his friend. “-and someone else is probably going to sweep him off his feet while I’m looking like an idiot.”

Jongdae shrugs, misting a shiny little succulent in a pot on his bookshelf. Jongin thinks its name is Horololo or something equally strange. Jongdae names all his plants. He scowls at the little green thing.

“How do you even tell them apart? You move them around so much.”

“It’s easy.” Jongdae pats one of the squat little leaves happily. “Ko Ko Bop has those coloured bits to the end of his stem whereas Monster gets dark spots if you leave him in the sun too long, but Tempo-”

Jongin stuffs the pillow back over his face. Jongdae continues happily rattling off each of the succulent’s names like a proud dad, finishing with “And you’ll never know if you don’t try.”

“What?”

Jongdae rounds the couch, crouches down and fondly mists the plant on the side table nearest Jongin. “Kyungsoo. I saw the security footage from the zoo. You know he blushes every time you stand too close to him.”

Jongin scowls at his handler. “You have far too much access to things in comms. And he probably just got excited telling me about penguin habitats or something.”

“If you weren’t falling over everything in a five mile radius of him today you might notice a lot more.”

Jongin whines softly into the pillow. “I mean I thought he was pretty amazing even _before_ I knew he was also trained in undercover espionage.” He thumps a heel against the couch sadly.

“Then show him that,” Jongdae replies, infinitely patient. “Try not to hit your head hard enough that you pass out as you do and I’m sure he’ll see what a delight you are.”

A set of footsteps wanders into the room. “What’s a delight?” Kyungsoo asks, looking up from his assessment folders.

Jongin sits bolt upright, tossing the pillow aside. “Jongdae’s plants. And I’m late for my psyche eval,” he manages as he stands and darts past Kyungsoo. “Don’t forget to water Horolobop.”

* * *

“Are you avoiding me?” Kyungsoo asks quietly that evening just as Jongin is alone in the cubicles and stretching back in his chair, popping every last tired joint he has.

The chair tilts back to fast Jongin nearly falls off it. He manages to hook a knee against the underside of his desk just in time to avoid making enough of a spectacle that he has to change jobs, switch careers and move to a whole other country out of sheer embarrassment. “No?” Jongin manages weakly, steadying himself back into the proper position.

Kyungsoo levels him with a long look that seems… hurt. Jongin scrambles to try to change that.

“Well yes. But not in a bad way, I-” Jongin watches Kyungsoo’s face fall even further. Crap. “I didn’t mean to but I didn’t know what to say and where to start because I’ve never really…”

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo says quietly, stopping Jongin in his rambling tracks. He crosses his arms over his sweet, flirty little shirt almost like he wants to hide it. “I know that it’s easy to misread things in the heat of the moment and I was probably a bit too forward when we first met and if I’ve made you uncomfortable I apologise-”

“I’ve been an idiot,” Jongin blurts helplessly. He’s fucked up and goddammit he’s _still _fucking up. “Can we start again?”

Kyungsoo nods his head. “I understand if you want to keep this strictly professional before we make some kind of a big mistake and…” he sighs, glancing away. “_Pinguinus impennis_,” he whispers sadly.

The mother of all light bulbs goes off above Jongin’s head when he hears that. He spins, scoops the fluffy penguin off the edge of his desk and turns back to take Kyungsoo’s hand. Then he gathers every ounce of courage he has and holds them both.

“I took Latin as part of when I was first starting to learn English during my recruitment.”

Kyungsoo stills, confused. Jongin tentatively swaps his grip on Kyungsoo’s hand, lacing their fingers together. Kyungsoo looks down and Jongin bravely jumps in with both figurative feet.

“That’s an ancient, extinct breed, right? It died out. Well I’m not… I don’t want this to die early just because I didn’t know how to tell you I like you.”

Kyungsoo’s mouth drops open. He looks hopelessly endeared at the penguin-related line and goes to say something else but Jongin takes a deep breath and tugs Kyungsoo along as he leaves the cubicle.

“I know I should have done this properly from the start but I still want to try. I want to show you my cool side again if you'll let me.” Jongin checks the time, toy tucked under one arm. “Come with me? I think I know how to make this up to you.”

Kyungsoo lets himself be guided along towards the industrial sized elevator. “Okay. But you know it was the first scientists actually mistakenly thinking that penguins were some kind of giant auk that gave them that name.”

Jongin freezes, heart dropping. Kyungsoo taps the button for the above-ground level and squeezes their joined hands tightly.

“But I still think you’re cool.”

* * *

The huge shopping centre is nearly empty by the time they reach it, Jongin having rapidly googled the nearest store before they borrowed one of the work vehicles. But that’s perfect because this way Jongin doesn’t have to wait in line. He simply brings them right up to the store they need. Kyungsoo comes to a complete stop before they enter. It looks very much like he's trying not to smile. 

“Are you… Is this a date?”

Jongin looks back at Kyungsoo from the entranceway. He wills his voice not to sound half as nervous as he feels. “Not secret agent enough?”

“It’s Build-A-Bear.”

Jongin lifts up the bandage-covered penguin and reaches for Kyungsoo again, smiling. “I’m not the only one who needed a little surgery.”

Kyungsoo laughs the whole way inside. They take their spot in the queue behind the last child and Kyungsoo doesn’t let go of Jongin’s hand the whole time they spend waiting for the harried-looking assistant to sew together the back of the small girl’s cloud-covered bear.

Finally when they’ve done the little pretend ceremony to bring the toy to life and the girl skips out with her father Jongin steps forward and hands the penguin over.

“I know this isn’t your usual work but could we maybe ask for a little repair?”

The young woman doesn’t miss their conjoined hands. She lifts the penguin up with a smile, assessing it critically. “You guys sure you don’t want a new animal? Not trying to make a sale or anything but this one has seen better days.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “No thank you. He’s kind of special.”

The lady shrugs. “Okay then. It’ll take me fifteen minutes to get it sorted. You want a little extra stuffing put back in too?”

Jongin looks to Kyungsoo.

“Sure,” Kyungsoo says quietly. “As long as he’s fixed.”

Jongin brushes his thumb across the back of Kyungsoo’s hand and together they watch the young woman place the toy across her knee and remove the small patch keeping the penguin together. She gives the muzzle burn on the back of the bird a suspicious look but Kyungsoo hurries to explain how candles just _shouldn’t _be kept around small children and by the end of it Jongin is pretty sure he’s going to get a far better grade on his next lawful deception unit. And also that the woman now thinks they’re adoptive parents.

By the time she cleans, stuffs and sews the soft toy back up on both sides the mall outside is starting to switch it’s lights off. Jongin watches as she pauses before setting the final couple of stitches.

“Did you two uh-” she shrugs. “We have the whole heart ceremony thing for the kids. Sew it in and everything. Did you guys want..?”

The woman holds up a tiny fabric heart which Jongin knows from his niece and nephew is both cheesy and vitally important to a million small children, but he watches Kyungsoo reach out and take it nonetheless.

“Sure. If you ring it all up we’ll set it in place then you can close the shop on time.” 

Jongin stares at the little puffy object as the woman gratefully heads to the counter, and at Kyungsoo who takes the penguin and cradles it carefully in the crook of one arm. It feels kind of perfect to touch a fingertip to the heart. Jongin licks his lips and shuffles closer.

“Thank you for saving my life,” he whispers, looking Kyungsoo in the eye. “I’ve been wanting to say that since I woke up.”

Kyungsoo smiles up at him. “Thank you for saving mine. I never thought when I joined up that someone would be throwing themselves in front of a bullet for me.”

Jongin rubs the little heart, brushing Kyungsoo’s fingers that are also trailing across it as they guide the little item into its new forever-home. “Hey,” he admonishes softly, nudging their shoulders. “If I didn’t then who else would I ever hear facts from?”

The peaches of Kyungsoo’s smile grow pink. His eyes are shy. “Penguins mate for life,” he whispers.

Jongin presses the heart gently into the back of the penguin’s body and dips his head. “Perfect.”

Kyungsoo pushes up onto his toes and meets him halfway, sealing their mouths together in the dark with a faint, happy sound. His free hand comes to rest warmly on Jongin’s waist, navigating his holster and Jongin finally gives in to the urge he’s had to settle an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, drawing him close until they’re flush together.

This also feels very much like a forever-home.

* * *


End file.
